


Black & Blue

by aroberuka



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bullying, Childhood, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 03:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19939261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroberuka/pseuds/aroberuka
Summary: When Ino had decided to take Sakura under her wing, she'd known it wouldn't solve everything. Bullies were bullies and bullies often needed things explained to them very slowly and repeatedly—and not always with words.Thankfully, Ino had always been very good at getting her point across.





	Black & Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heartbeatstumbles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartbeatstumbles/gifts).



> thank you for letting me do whatever i want~

When Ino had decided she'd take Sakura under her wing, whether Sakura liked it or not, she'd known it wouldn't change anything. Bullies were bullies and most bullies needed things explained to them many, many times—not always with words.

Thankfully, Ino was very good at getting her point across.

The thing was, Sakura _was_ cute. Yeah, the forehead was a bit much, but so what? She could make it work for her if she tried! No, the real problem was that she was sad _all the time_ , and that tripped people up. Made them think less of her before she even opened her mouth. Put a little confidence in her, and soon enough people would fall over themselves to be her friend, Ino was sure of it—because Sakura _was_ cute, and clever, and she always tried her best in all their classes, even the really boring ones, even though she wasn't really good at anything yet and also she couldn't fight, like, _at all_ , not even to defend herself; she just made herself smaller and smaller and hoped people like Ami wouldn't notice her. When they did anyway she stood very still and cried a lot and waited for them to be done with her.

Ino didn’t know why that made her so angry, but it did; a kind of fierce, all-encompassing anger that washed over everything and made her shake with the need to do _something_. 

So, really, it was only a matter of time before she punched Ami right in her stupid face.

After, they ran through the streets, half-stumbling over each other, until they were both sure no-one was after them. It wasn't easy. Sakura wouldn't let go of Ino's hand, and Ino wouldn't stop laughing, even as Sakura fretted over her split lip, even though it had been a stupid, stupid thing to do because bullies traveled in packs and it had been three against one by the time Sakura found the courage to snag Ino's wrist and yank her free from the fray.

That evening Ino would sit in front of the mirror and count the bruises and think every single one had been worth it: for the black and blue marks spreading across Ami’s nose and under her eyes; for the look of shock and horror on her face when Ino’s fist came crashing down; and for every time Sakura would smile at Ino over the next few weeks, shy and tentative but happier than she’d been in a long time.

Ino would've done a lot to see that smile more often.

Sakura wasn’t really good at anything yet, and she couldn’t fight, like, at all.

That was alright, though. Ino would just have to handle the fighting until Sakura could do it on her own.


End file.
